


That Night

by onlyhereforellick



Series: Fictober ‘19 [2]
Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, fictober ‘19, post-ep 17x02, tag of 16x13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-15 11:20:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20865368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyhereforellick/pseuds/onlyhereforellick
Summary: Don’t be a wuss, tell her how you feel.





	That Night

**Author's Note:**

> Fictober ‘19, prompt #2 “Just follow me, I know the area.”
> 
> Had to combine the prompt & post-ep because let’s be honest, that was easier 😅

_ Don’t be a wuss, tell her how you feel. _

_ Don’t be a wuss, tell her how you feel. _

_ Don’t be a wuss... _

“Hey—” McGee’s voice broke through his incessant thoughts, “You okay over there?”

Feeling like a kid getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Nick stuttered a reply, “Wh- what? Wuss? I’m not a wuss.” He made a conscious effort to stop glancing over to Bishop’s empty desk so McGee wouldn’t catch on. 

A look of confusion swept over McGee’s face, “Uhhhhh, never said you were. Who’s a wuss?”

Nick refocused on McGee now trying to backtrack, “What? No-, nothing. Just something Ziva mentioned...” Nick trailed off and his eyes slid back over to Ellie’s desk on their own volition. 

McGee followed his gaze, “Something about Bishop?”

Voice rising in slight panic as Nick snapped out of his haze, “What?? No, not about Bishop.” 

McGee’s eyebrows shot so high into his hairline they might never come back. “So...Ziva call  you a wuss then?”

“I am not a wuss,” Nick replied; McGee remained skeptical. “I am  **not** a wuss.” Nick repeated more firmly this time, almost like he was trying to convince himself instead of McGee. Once again, his eyes trailed back over to Bishop’s desk, “Speaking of Bishop though, where is she?” Nick tried to play it off, joke to lighten the mood and throw McGee off his trail, “She gonna pick up her slack with all this paperwork that’s  _her_ fault, or what?

McGee eyed him suspiciously before responding. Nick’s words did not match his intense stare, practically boring holes in Bishop’s chair. “Pretty sure she’s up in Vance’s office getting chewed out by him and Jack for the stunts she pulled this case.” McGee added, “not that I really blame her though...she was the only one who really believed in Ziva though.”

Nick scoffed at that, like it was hard for him to think Ellie believed in someone blindly. Before Nick could conjure a reply, McGee heard a door click and footsteps start towards the top of the stairs above, Bishop must be done. 

“Speak of the devil, I think I hear her coming,” McGee announced to Torres who was once again lost in thought with a far-off look on his face. 

A sniffle preceded Ellie before she entered the bullpen and stepped around her desk. Instead of sitting in her chair though, she grabbed her laptop, a bag of chips from her drawer, and sat on the floor behind her desk, effectively disappearing from wandering eyes. 

McGee gestured over to Torres, “psst! Torres,” came McGee’s whisper-shouting. He pointed in Ellie’s direction and back to Nick then jerked his finger towards the elevator. Nick’s only response was a  _what the hell _ face thrown in McGee’s direction. McGee tried again—a pointed finger between the two, followed by the sign for the number 2, flipping his hand over to mime them walking out together. Finally he gestured to the papers on the desk and back to himself; hoping to convey Nick should take Ellie, leave, and he would finish the paperwork. He whisper-shouted to conclude, “don’t be a wuss,” as he raised one eyebrow in challenge. 

A quick roll of his eyes and shoulders and Nick pushed away from his desk and cleared his throat. “Hey uh- Ellie, McGee um...lost a bet with me earlier and said he’d do our share of the paperwork.” McGee looked towards him and nodded encouragingly. “Wanna uh- wanna get out of here?” 

Trying to hide a sniffle Ellie replied, “um- uh, McGee, really?”

Nodding so fast Nick was sure McGee would give it away, he rushed to respond, “yeah, yep, yes I got it.”

“Well, if you’re sure...ok Nick, yeah we can get out of here.” Ellie answered lamely and started to gather her things. 

Nick gestured for her to walk in front of him to the elevator as he mouthed to McGee a heartfelt thanks. McGee just had a satisfied smile on his face, hoping this time was different than 6 years ago...

———

Ellie had silently agreed to him driving and loaded herself into his car with not so much as a peep.

_Don’t be a wuss, tell her how you feel. _

He gulped nervously and sealed his fate, he’d do it. But he’d have to take her somewhere first. At the next exit, he veered off the interstate away from his apartment, hoping she wouldn’t notice at first. 

Her eyes remained unfocused on the passing surroundings, she didn’t take note they weren’t near his building until they were parking at the trailhead of a small piece of land just outside of the city. Ellie snapped to when Nick put the car in park and turned to face her. “Wh- what are we doing here? Where are we?”

“You’ll see,” was all he said before he exited the car and came around her side and opened the passenger door.

She continued to look warily at him and their surroundings as she warned him, “Niiick, I’m really not in the mood for games. This doesn’t look safe, where are we?”

Extending a hand to help coax her out of the car, “Come on, El. You can trust me. Just follow me, I know the area.”

“You know the area?” she repeated in disbelief.

“Yes, I uh- I come here often..to think.” He divulged as he stared off into the trees.

Still frustratingly sitting in the car staring at him like he had three eyes, “You? You come out, to the middle of nowhere...to think?”

“Yes. Just- just, okay? Come on, let’s go,” he bobbed his hand up and down to drive home his impatient point. 

Lifting an eyebrow she shot him a questioning look, but blessedly she took his hand and exited the car. Linking their fingers—which gifted him another inquisitive glare—he shut her door, hit the lock on the fob key, and led them to the tree-line.

Lost in his thoughts, he made his way to that fateful spot on autopilot. He hadn’t been lying when he told Ellie he came here often. Ever since that night, he couldn’t get this spot out of his head. Finally one sleepless night he got in his car and drove out here. Despite the tumultuous events that occurred here, he had felt peace when he reached his final destination. And so forth, when he felt restless or uneasy, he came here. He’d sit on that rock, stare out into the abyss and think. Think about what he could have lost, what he could have missed out on, and what he knew to be true—he didn’t deserve her. 

Breaking through his reverie, Ellie broke her own silence and addressed him, “Nick, really. Where are we going?”

_ Don’t be a wuss, tell her how you feel. _

Ziva’s words continued to echo in his head. They finally reached their destination and he stopped a few yards from his rock. He looked out to the lake, summoning the courage before turning to Ellie. 

Before he could speak, he saw the lightbulb flick on in her head, and a shudder go through her. Standing stoic in front of him, he was unable to read her emotions as she spoke, “Why are we here, Nick.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. Immediately she tried to pull her hand away and leave.

_Don’t be a wuss, tell her how you feel._

He tugged her hand back, effectively pulling her within inches of his body. He used his free hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Her chest rose and fell faster than before, and it wasn’t from the short hike. 

“I know this area because I come out here often. I know this area because I have a jar of this lake water sitting on my mantle to remind me. I know this area because I almost lost you here.” He paused to collect his thoughts and reign in his emotions. It always hit him hard to think back to that night. The night he realized just how he felt. 

“Nick—“ Ellie started, but words eluded her.

“Ellie, that night, that’s the night I knew. And this place, despite how terrified I was in the moment, it’s weirdly brought me peace. Peace in knowing I still have a chance to tell you how I feel. We still have a long life ahead of us,” he mused. Finally releasing her hand to frame her face with his, he continued, “A wise ninja once told me to not be a wuss. To tell you how I feel. And you know, I bet she speaks from experience, so I think I’ll listen to her. Ellie, I like you, so much so that I think I love you.”

Eyes misty and voice shaky, Ellie asked, “does this mean I’m allowed to worry about you now?”

Nick with a quiet chuckle, nodded, “You can worry about me until we get old and gray, Eleanor.”

“Good, because I don’t think I’ll ever stop. Worrying, or loving you, Nicholas,” she said, a large smile breaking out across her face. Reaching up, just barely on her tiptoes, she lightly pressed her lips to his—also finally, at peace. 

———

If you had told her that she’d look to the lake she almost died in with peace and love in her heart, she would have called you crazy. And yet, the bad memories were all replaced with good, to the point of overflowing. They made the hike there relatively frequently, and a few months after Nick  _finally_ opened up, he got down on one knee on their rock—as they now called it—and proposed. Then, a few months later, the land and lake went on the market. The moment they saw the ‘For Sale’ sign on the front lawn they turned to each other excitedly and already knew they’d be putting in an offer that afternoon. They tore down the old cabin and built a modest modern-version of a mountain cabin. It was finished and moved into a few weeks before their wedding, which took place on their newly redone dock with their closest friends. In the fading sunset, sitting on their rock a year after that special day, Ellie passed Nick a small pebble. When he sent her an inquisitive look, she replied simply, ‘it’s our baby’s rock.’ He’d never admit, but the tear he shed would be forever etched into her memory. Happily joining the rolodex of other fond memories, making that one night a distant moment in time, long since forgotten. And when their adorable baby girl was born and Nick looked at Ellie, terrified and anxious, she assured him with a loving smile, “Just follow me. I don’t know the area, but we’ll figure it out, together.” 


End file.
